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Ungulate Subraces Of Note

Actaeons

Where the danali (see below) live on the warm plains and survive almost exclusively through their fleetness of foot, the actaeons live in the forests, and though they also rely on their natural agility as a primary defense, they know how to use that agility in effective guerrilla tactics, and can prove to be highly aggressive warriors, while still retaining a strong respect for the natural world around them.

Personality:
Proud and demanding, actaeons are a relatively primitive people who tend not to think too deeply, even to the point of anti-intellectualism and a resistance to change, as well as a deep suspicion of outsiders. Among their own people, actaeons have a strong, fiery nature, full of lust for life and desires to prove themselves to the rest of the tribe. This is tempered, however, with many rules of proper conduct. To adults of the tribe, most of these rules are considered guidelines rather than strictures to be obeyed without question, though they are taught as the strict law to their young while growing up.

Physical Description:
Standing between five and eight feet tall, actaeons look most like anthropomorphic forest-dwelling cervines. The larger members of the race take after such species as elk, wapiti, moose, and reindeer, while the smaller ones take after smaller breeds of deer, with the larger members of the race tending to live further north, while the smaller ones tend to live in warmer climes. Their appearances are usually completed with hooflike feet, black-nailed fingers, and antlered heads (though females of various actaeon groups may or may not have horns) that shed and regrow regularly.

About Actaeons:
Named after their first ancestor, Actaeon, now deified into full worship, the actaeons are a proud people, though they are also more than willing to get along with those who also respect the ways of the forests where they live. Elves and actaeons are natural allies, and most actaeon tribes pay at least lip service to a baagh feline beastfolk who rules the areas that they call their tribal homelands. Humans are regarded with great suspicion, because of their expansionist ways, and wolfen and orcs are outright disliked for their aggression, though humans and wolfen can prove themselves, and sometimes form alliances with the actaeons. Most races are rather mistrusting of actaeons, because they do not believe that it is wrong to change their minds, promises being kept and gifts being given only as long as it is convenient to do so, before fading back into the woods to escape any retribution their actions might bring.

Preferring their safe forests, where they know the land, and can defend their territory most easily, actaeons do not leave them often, though they often roam for miles in their nomadic lifestyles, never settling in one place. Some will take this constant wandering tendency to its extreme and leave the forests, while others resist the intensely traditional, anti-change stance of their tribal elders, and it is from these few that most actaeon adventurers come.

Danali

A shy and retiring folk by nature, though not timid when called to stand up for their defense, the danali are dwellers in the plains and veldts of the world, while a few even go so far as to dwell in the less-inhabited mountain peaks. Most live in quiet gatherer societies, as they are a primarily herbivorous race by preference, living off the lush vegetation of the lands they prefer to inhabit, and not disturbing the natural world more than necessary. Because they are often far from the civilized lands, however, they are almost constantly in the midst of dangerous territory, and so they grow up living with the reality of sudden death, and their society has developed to adapt to these constant dangers. They were almost wiped out on more than a few occasions, but thanks to the intervention of other races they were able to recover and have begun to thrive in their quiet lands.

Personality:
To outsiders, the danali seem at the same time both serene and flighty. They are a watchful, careful species, ever alert for danger, and suspicious of (though not hostile towards) new people and events. Flight is more common for them than fighting, though they see nothing wrong with the clever use of strategic withdrawals to allow attacks from ambushes, using their natural speed to its best advantage. They show their emotions without restraint, feeling that it is best to get such things out in the open quickly so that they do not endanger the rest of the tribe at inopportune moments. At the same time, they live with a knowledge that they are in harmony with the natural world, and most do not agonize over their personal lives. Of far greater importance is survival, and the danali, for all their flightiness and tendency for strong emotions, are a very practical people.

Physical Description:
The danali are a slender folk, with all the stunning wild grace of the plains-dwelling cervids that they most resemble, and which they can be said to call their ancient ancestors, before their rise to full sentience and bipedal stance. Fleet of foot and most charming in manner, the danali prefer to keep to themselves, lacking the muscle mass to compete with the more dangerous races such as wolfen and orcs in direct confrontation. They are one of the most varied of species, taking on characteristics of the cervines to be found in their homelands, in the form of hoofed feet and an ungulate's gait, fur, muzzles and large ears, and most have horns on top of their heads, though the females of some varieties lack these horns. Their eyes are various shades of brown, hazel or black, though an exceedingly rare few might have green eyes. Their general appearance varies greatly, ranging from the swift-footed antelope to the tiny dikdiks to the graceful gazelle and oryx. Regardless of their height, however, danali tend to be very slender and graceful.

About Danali:
Danali seem to live in a world filled with enemies, for their preference for fleeing as they fight seems only to encourage the mighty races to try and pillage them. Orcs and wolfen are some of the worst races that are known for troubling the danali, and the danali come as close to true hate as they ever do when considering these savage folk. They are wary of catfolk, who have also been known to take advantage of them on some occasions, though with nowhere near the frequency of orcs and wolfen. Elves are the natural allies of danali, liking their gentle ways and unfettered emotions, and on some occasions it was the actions of the elves that saved this race from the brink of extinction, allowing them to begin to prosper. Dwarves view danali as more unreliable and flighty than elves, but they also recognize that the deerfolk have no malice, and so they will not allow those small communities of danali living in the mountains to be molested overmuch by the giants and other species that make those realms their homes, which has earned them the friendship of the danali, something which the dwarves regard dubiously, but also with grudging acceptance of allies where they can get them. Some human peoples viewed the danali as a resource to be exploited, and contributed to their dangers, while other humans aided the danali, and so the deerfolk generally take this race on a case-by-case basis. Feline beastfolk, especially the large felines, such as the simbani and baaghi, are regarded by the danali with a mixture of fear and reverence, and these feline races, especially the simbani, often rule areas where the danali travel.

Preferring to leave the outside world to its own affairs and to mind their own, the danali still are willing to help others whenever the occasion permits and they are not being directly endangered. They do not often have much beyond basic subsistence, but what they do have, they are willing to share.

Danali often feel the need to repay the many debts of their race’s survival back to those who have helped them in the past, either to the still-living or to their descendants, the children of those who were helped going out into the world to help the children of those who helped them. Their passion for life and living can make them welcome additions to almost any group to boost morale, and their native agility and fleetness of foot can give them great maneuverability on any field of battle.

Equitra

From out of the wild plains they come. The equitra are a stalwart race, nomadic and untamed, mighty warriors, and yet capable of great gentleness, with a strong sense of right and an eagerness to run with the wind. According to the equitra themselves, they are the descendants of heavenly beings, an offshoot of the Equinal Guardinals (found in The Book of Exalted Deeds), brought to the mortal plane to establish themselves and prosper and show the right way through their strength. Some have taken more after the ways of the plane on which they now live, while others still seek after this ideal. But regardless of where they go, all who look at the equitra in their splendor cannot help but admire them for their beauty and strength.

Personality:
The horsefolk are a wild folk, but not an unruly one. They have a love of activity and freedom, and are energetic and youthfully boisterous, even when old age is upon them. Most equitra are amiable and pleasant of disposition and will try to get along with others around them, even those not of their race. They understand that not everybody can be lucky enough to be an equitra, and so will often go out of their way to be helpful. Some can be quite mischievous at times, as a part of their playful energy, and some can be quite impatient with those who cannot keep up with them, but for the most part the equitra are easygoing and forgiving, so long as they are allowed the freedom to run. A few, especially those based on the smaller breeds of equines (such as donkeys and burros) can be quite stubborn in nature, and tend to be know-it-alls and stoic cynics.

Physical Description:
The roving horsefolk of the plains, the equitra, are a well-built and powerful people, ranging in size from four-and-a-half to almost eight feet tall, and are strong in their ways, and not easily bested in any contest of speed or endurance. While they have a humanoid build, they have similar markings and fur patterns as normal horses, and manes and tails to match, with a rare few having markings similar to those of zebras or okapis and similar creatures, while some even resemble giraffes (at the highest end of their heights) or donkeys and burros (at the shortest end of the height scale). Their long faces and pointed ears allow them to sense all dangers that might come out onto their plains, and their great speed and ferocity in battle truly make them lords of the plains.

About Equitra:
The equitra are lords of the plains, able to move faster for longer and with more power than any other sentient race without the aid of riding beasts. Because of this they sometimes come in conflict with humans who try to cultivate and fence in the wide open spaces, but are willing to make compromises as long as the lands in which they run are left mostly alone. When equitra meet elves, the two races get along just fine, the equitra recognizing that the elves are people of the forests, and acknowledging that they are adapted to their environment the same way the equitra are adapted to theirs. The danali and the actaeons are some of the only races that can keep up with the equitra. Their short-term speed is no match for the lasting endurance of the horsefolk, but nevertheless the equitra regard these races as equals, and are perfectly happy to share their space with them and defend them in times of trial. They consider the stumpy, slow-moving dwarves quite comical, and have an affection for gnomes and halflings, who they seem to think of as wise old children. Centaurs and equitra, besides being able to interbreed (the offspring being either especially horselike equitra if the mother is an equitra, or, if the mother is a centaur, a centaur with the upper torso of an equitra) are also natural allies, and often merge their tribes together.

As mentioned, equitra are lords of the plains, their domains stretching as far as they can run. They are omnivores, despite their equine appearance, but eat meat very sparingly, most animal protein in their diets coming from fish at the freshwater streams that run through their running grounds. Humans, halflings and feline beastfolk are the only other groups that the equitra usually meet on the plains, as well as the danali. Since they are seminomadic, keeping only small settlements and trading posts, they see no point in direct conflict when their lands are encroached, so long as those coming into the region do not seem likely to stay. Permanent settlements that appear to be growing are a sign of less free space, and this can rouse the equitra to great interest in the new community, to see if those moving in will be good neighbors. If it seems unlikely that they will be so, then the equitra will enlist what aid they can from their allies and do all they can to drive the interlopers out with minimal loss of life on either side.

Equitra adventure either for the fun of it, or because they feel there is something wrong in the world which they should take a hand in correcting, though very often they do so for a combination of the two reasons. It is not at all uncommon for equitra to become paladins, going forth to crusade directly against evil. Young and spirited equitra often head out into the world to prove their mettle, and they are eager to prove their use to their companions as well as to themselves.

Loxophants

Near relatives of the more savage loxo (Monster manual II), loxophants (sometimes called “elephant seers”) are a race that has devoted itself to serving others through the blessings of divine aid. Touched by the powers of the gods, these elephantkin are gentle giants, caring and generous to a fault. They have found an inner peace that few individuals can ever hope to obtain, let alone an entire race, and this tranquil spirit allows the power of the gods to shine through them, making the loxophants especially adept at channeling divine energy, most of which they use to serve others in need.

Personality:
While the loxo are a physically formidable species, given to monumental rages and towering feats of strength and martial ability, the loxophants have largely given up such barbaric practices, having actively worked to release their negative emotions and urges, calming their inner hearts, and soothing the savage instincts of their near relatives. While the males of the species tend to be a bit more aggressively militant, and generally keep to themselves, apart from the more spiritual females, even they prefer peaceful resolutions to conflicts if at all possible, seeking ways to soothe their enemies rather than fighting them. Loxophants are given to long periods of restful meditation and long hours of quiet contemplation, though they are also more than willing to render assistance to those in need, having no fear of hard work, and an immense capacity for it as well, thanks to their incredible physical abilities.

Physical Description:
A loxophant looks like a humanoid elephant, with thick, wrinkly, sparsely-haired skin that ranges from a ghostly white to almost jet black, with bluish grey and tannish brown being the most common colorations. Their eyes are generally a soft, long-lashed brown, though a few specimens are born with blue eyes. The limbs of loxophants are thick and stubby, with three digits at the ends of their arms and legs, they have a powerful prehensile trunk and large ears, and a pair of sharp ivory tusks (larger in males than in females) that can make potent weapons, though they are often capped with blunt metal baubles in civilized areas, so as to avoid causing accidental injuries. Loxophants favor simple but comely clothing when traveling, but can adorn themselves with incredibly ornate decorations when they are carrying out their divine functions, often making extensive use of jewelry.

About Loxophants:
There is almost no race or community to whom the loxophants will not render assistance. They are as egalitarian in their willingness to help others as they are in their willingness to worship different deities. Those communities that know of loxophants, and are on the pilgrimage routes that they take in their wandering, revere the elephant seers as a holy race, and hold them in high regard, letting them act in the most holy offices whenever they are present. The only peoples that loxophants will not help are those who are actively hostile towards them, or who attempt treachery against them. This usually includes orcs and gnolls, among other evil humanoid races, though surprisingly this seldom includes the goblinoids, who are usually smart and self-serving enough to give the loxophants free passage and free room and board in exchange for healing and other services, keeping their evil acts to a minimum and enduring a great deal of preaching to change their ways until the elephant seers move on once more.

The elephant seers are a semi-nomadic people, traveling along the ancient routes of holy pilgrimages, moving from shrine to shrine and temple to temple, stopping for a time to enjoy the hospitality of various communities along their route, and dispensing their skills and services, both religious and purely secular, as needed. All pious communities, of whatever race, consider it a great honor to have the loxophants come among them for short stays, and rejoice in the divine favors that these traveling holy beings provide. The routes of each loxophant band can take them through jungles, over mountains, and through deserts, and can sometimes take years to complete, but they are nevertheless fairly regular in their cycles of travel, and almost always find their way into major population centers during holy festivals to lead the communities they visit in proper religious rites during these sacred times.

Loxophant males who have not yet obtained a mate are most likely to adventure, because they have no ties that require them to settle down. Females are less likely to adventure because of the many duties that are required of them from a very early age, preparing them for the priesthood services of their people and the peoples to whom they minister. A female loxophant (or some males) might become an adventurer if she owed a life debt to another, and was determined to repay it by following them on their travels, or they were given an assignment to accompany a party to accomplish some greater goal, as determined by divine karma and kismet.

Ovida

Goatfolk (or ibixians, as they are sometimes known, from the Monster Manual III) are the wild and free souls of the mountains, living in barbaric savagery and completely untouchable by the laws of other races. However, this is only one side of the story. Some of these ibixians did indeed settle down in human lands, and over time they allowed themselves to become domestic and docile, until they had become the ovida race – sheepfolk, instead of goats, though a few of them (often called "capra," though they are still the same race) retain goatlike qualities to their appearance. They are still excellent at working in groups, and the cooperation found in ovida settlements is astounding, but so is the startling lack of originality of thought and the eager willingness to conform to the standards of the community as a whole.

Personality:
Ovida are most noted for their willingness to conform. The needs of the group always go first, while the needs of the individual are secondary, if they come up at all. Because of their stalwart commitment to tradition, and their less-than-stellar intelligences, it can be very difficult talking to an ovida, especially if one is trying to convince them to change their present course of action when there is no obvious danger to it. The average ovida prefers a peaceful, quiet life, devoid of needless danger, much like the average human commoner, taken to the extreme of the stereotype. A few ovida live in mountainous regions, taking after bighorn sheep in both appearance and their love of peace and quiet, and though these ovida are more prone to original thought and a sense of personal independence, they still hold to their traditions like the rocks on which they live.

Physical Description:
An amalgam of sheep and humanoid, ovida have a light fleecy covering all over their bodies (which they shear periodically, roughly once a year, to make cloth), which comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns, the heads of sheep (males often having curving horns), and hooves or hooflike feet (depending on the amount of human blood in their ancestry). There are as wide a range of body types and heights among ovida as there are among humans, though ovida tend more towards the middle ranges of physical fitness – what some observers have called “More average than the average.” Ovida often practice a form of limited eugenics, along with some minor inbreeding, and so it is quite common for a single community of the sheepfolk to all look exceptionally similar to each other. Bighorn sheep tend to have much shorter wool, and also to be more physically fit, as well as often being physically larger and stronger.

About Ovida:
As a general rule, the ovida do not have many enemies. Most people find themselves quite bored in ovida communities, for the sheepfolk are not especially exciting, nor do they appreciate excitement, and so unless one needs a skilled laborer or crafter, most people avoid the ovida, leaving them to their quiet lives. Exceptions to this rule include orcs and raiding bands of wolfen. Both groups view the ovida as easy prey, from whom spoils of excellent quality can be stolen. Hobgoblins are also a constant menace because they usually seek to dominate ovida communities, seeing the sheepfolk as docile laborers for the hobgoblin cause, easy bullied into serving their new masters. Ovida usually act as willing, loyal subjects to human rulers, so long as they are left alone, though sometimes a village or two might serve dwarven kingdoms, and they are highly prized everywhere for their skill as farmers and crafters.

Ovida are as solid and stolid a folk as could be desired, holding fast to tradition whenever possible, and working always to uphold the laws of their communities, not asking many questions or trying to rock the boat. Usually the lands of the sheepfolk are those owned by others. Not the most martial of races, ovida generally either offer their services freely to stronger powers in exchange for protection, or are dominated by oppressive groups seeking cheap, effective labor that isn’t likely to challenge the statue quo. Ovida do occasionally set up small, isolated villages in quiet valleys and high mountain areas, but these are exceptions to the rule.

An ovida is a most uncommon sight in an adventuring party. The young, while occasionally given to moments of recklessness, are usually carefully watched and guided down their life paths, ensuring that they do not go astray from the fold. However, when communities of sheepfolk are oppressed by especially horrible tyrants, the normal order can occasionally break down, and some members of the community might escape and try to make their way on the open road. Also, occasionally ovida will become slaves to other races, some of whom might escape, and for whom the adventurous life is the only option, since returning home might just endanger the ovida’s loved ones. Others will be acting as servants to other members of an adventuring party, an occupation that just happens to bring them into the line of adventurous life. Bighorn ovida are an exception to the reticence of sheepfolk to go adventuring, as many of this freedom-loving subrace will happily take to the adventuring life.

Ragemongers

There are some who say that the ragemongers are a chaos-corrupted offshoot of the Lawful Good Rhek of the plane of Arcadia (detailed in the Book of Exalted Deeds), cast out into the Prime Material Plane for their raw, uncontained rages and capacity for destruction when aroused. Whether this is true or not, the ragemongers do not say, but it is true that, when their ire is aroused, there are few forces more terrifying to behold.

Personality:
Despite their reputation and their name, the ragemongers are actually quite peaceful, so long as they are left to their own devices and not bothered. They prefer lives of relative solitude, and do not go out of their way to bother others. However, while they are generally peaceful, ragemongers have a hair-trigger, and it takes only the slightest aggravation to set off the prodigious temper of these mighty beings. Even when dealing with each other, there are constant tests of strength that would leave a normal creature mortally wounded, but which only make the ragemongers more surly. To the ragemongers, the entire world is a test of physical might and mental endurance, and they intend to face and best every challenge, including the ultimate challenge itself: death.

Physical Description:
While the Rhek look like humans with rhino-like features, the ragemongers are far most bestial, with a heavy, horned rhino’s head atop an almost neckless body covered with thick, fleshy armor plates. Different bands of ragemongers vary in color, though they usually retain standard colorations for rhinos, grey, black, and white being the most common.

About Ragemongers:
Ragemongers don’t really like anybody, but on the other hand, they don’t really hate anybody either. They wish only to be left to their own devices, and react with extreme violence to anybody who disturbs their solitude. The one exception to this rule are the birdfolk, in all their varieties. Since the ragemongers are limited to the ground only, and have generally poor vision, they are often willing to open relations with the birdfolk, and use the many avian races as scouts and advance warnings of danger, and in exchange are willing to provide assistance in battle to their feathered friends whenever called upon. Another slight exception, though their relationship is based more on business than friendship, are the simbani feline beastfolk. The ragemongers are often employed by the simbani royalty as warriors and elite bodyguards, and throw themselves wholeheartedly into this role, because of the opportunity it provides them to crack skulls and make money doing it, besides the pleasures that can come from the fabulous hospitality of the simbani.

Usually ragemongers are the epitome of surly solitude. However, an individual ragemonger may form a friendship or two with those of other races. In such rare cases, a ragemonger is fiercely loyal to the friend, and will follow them anywhere and into any hazard, even if it means taking up the uncomfortable life of an adventurer.

River People

Waterways are the most common and fastest form of cheap transportation. Anyone who can uses waterways to move their goods and services from place to place, allowing rapid negotiation of large swaths of land with minimal hassle. At least, that is how it is until a traveler enters river people territory. Then, quite suddenly, a traveling trader will discover that he or she has stepped right into the middle of a well-organized group of highly-skilled and very persuasive merchants, who are more than eager to divest the hapless trader of goods for bargain prices, and then to charge toll prices for the return trip out of their territory. While physically imposing, river people are not feared for their warrior mettle, because they generally do not have any once put to the test, despite their occasional use of bullying tactics to get what they want. Rather, the river people are feared most because they are some of the shrewdest and best-organized traders around.

Personality:
In general, the river people are calm and relaxed, taking their time, and letting their potential customers wait. They know that they have a monopoly of sorts, thanks to their dominance of the waterways, and they see no reason behind unnecessary hurry. However, beneath this easygoing façade lies a dangerous undercurrent of seething savagery. This can be felt instinctively by most people who meet them, and the river people are more than happy to apply a bit of intimidation as well as polite diplomacy in their dealings with others, so long as it helps them get their way. Above all else, river people like to get their way, though they’re willing to play by the rules of other races as long as it suits their purposes. After all, what’s the point of making a profit if you end up in prison or executed getting it? This leads to the most important aspect of a river person’s personality: they are motivated by profit. While not blinded by greed, and not unwilling to show kindness, river people see no point in doing something unless it is likely to yield some sort of a payback, the bigger the better. Even when they help other people out for free, this is seen as a way to build customer relations – an investment for the future.

Physical Description:
If they were not so slow-moving and lazy, the massive river people would be terrifying. With large, heavy-lidded brown, yellow or black eyes, vast, corpulent bodies and thick-but-sensitive hides of tan, brown, grey, or pink, and stumpy limbs, the river folk seem less dangerous, looking much like humanoid hippopotami. However, once they open their large mouths, and show off the huge, sharp tusks within, and start to move, their loud, deep voices bellowing as they begin to swing an uprooted tree trunk or a heavy iron maul as a weapon, then one starts to understand why hippos and river people are considered the most dangerous creatures in the water. River people usually wear very little, though they are commonly seen with a series of massive, waterproof packs and pouches on their person, in which they carry their goods while swimming.

About River People:
River people get along splendidly with halflings, once a business relationship has been worked out. As long as the halflings keep away from the merchandise, river people are more than happy to do business with them, and the halflings, recognizing the problems they could face while trying to cross rivers owned by the river people, generally abide by these rules. Porque and river people naturally get along, as both races have an instinctive understanding of the other, and it is not uncommon for river people to hire savage porque guards for their goods. Beyond this, river people will get along well with anyone who they think they can profit from, which is virtually everybody, though this tends to be the shallow sort of friendliness that is as limited as the buying power of the people in question. However, the river people do not get along with anyone who steals from them, and they absolutely despise raiders who try and take things by force. While there are only a few races who would dare such a thing, hobgoblins, orcs and wolfen are among them, and the river people are always wary whenever dealing with these races.

Focused on profit first of all, gained in whatever manner as is legally allowed by the people with whom they do business, the river people are a focused Neutral in alignment. While they are rather greedy, they are not savagely avaricious, and may even donate to charities and worthy causes, though largely in the hopes that their investments will help people get back on their feet so that they can spend more money in the future. While river people may deal in less-savory goods such as slaves and narcotics, they only sell these items where they are legal (though the more unscrupulous among their number may not be as picky about where they originally get the goods in question).

There is only one thing that can motivate a river person to adventure: profit. This usually means that an adventuring party might actually be hired by a young, low-level river person seeking a desperate but fast way to easy wealth, and the river person in question accompanies the party to ensure that they act in accordance with their employer’s best interests. Alternatively, a junior member of a river people clan might be assigned to accompany a party hired by an older, higher-ranking member of the clan for similar reasons, and probably also as a form of punishment for failure.

Turos

Ancient sages say that the turos are what the minotaurs once were, before they descended into barbaric savagery. Strong warriors and instinctively well organized, the turos are natural builders of empires and mighty war machines. They serve equally well as farmers, engineers and great tacticians, using their impressive strength and orderly ways to overcome almost any problem. As turos live as long as dwarves (though they mature at the same rate as humans), they have ample time in which to apply their racial collective effort to situations.

Personality:
The turos are reliable and stalwart to a degree that even a dwarf must respect. They tend to be surly and sullen, and often seem unfriendly or excessively formal and slow in their speech. This is because a turos is thinking, preferring to consider things before he next acts, which acts as an excellent check on the prodigious and incredibly destructive tempers of this mighty species. Turos are also an exceedingly proud people, considering themselves destined for great things. Thankfully this racial pride is not usually manifested by excessive boasting or putting down of other races – it is just what a turos accepts as fact, and expects that others will, too, once they have been around the race long enough to learn the truth.

Physical Description:
If the raw, barbaric savagery of a Minotaur could be taken and civilized, one would get a good idea of what the turos look like. Turos take great pride in their appearance as a rule, and so are usually impeccable in grooming their short-furred hides, which come in as many color variations as can be expected of bovines. The turos have many of the traits of cattle in a humanoid form, with large, powerfully-built bodies, and often with a slight hump to their backs, but they have a keen glint of intelligence in their eyes as well that offsets their bestial appearances. This race ranges between six and a half feet tall to slightly under nine feet tall at their most massive, with weights running between two-hundred pounds to a good half ton or more, almost all of it bone and sinew and hard muscle.

About Turos:
The turos are surprisingly tolerant of other races, provided those races are willing to obey the rules and not start trouble. They are naturally suspicious of the carnivorous beastfolk, especially wolfen and feline beastfolk, but have no problems with the smaller catfolk. Turos do not trust races they regard as shifty, and that includes the elapi, the foxkin and the halflings, but they are very fond of the equitra and the danali, and regard the hardworking dwarves with the greatest respect. Humans are a race that the turos dislike greatly, because the coming of the humans to Therafim caused the downfall of their great empire, though they are still willing to trade with humans, while also regarding it as no sin to raid them and keep the humans in check.

Most turos favor lawful behavior, upholding the honor of their people and their nations to the best of their abilities, and doing their part to keep their people strong. Any Lawful alignment is socially acceptable, so long as one is dutiful towards the community as a whole, and so the Lawful Evil and Lawful Good rub shoulders and battle on the frontlines against common foes on a regular basis. Honor is more important than ethics to the turos as a people, though individuals may have their own preferences and opinions on this.

Most turos prefer to stay among their own kind and assist the building up of their people’s power base than go adventuring, endangering themselves and others for the sake of petty wealth and glory and fame. However, turos paladins (of which there are a decent number) are quite eager to go forth and battle the forces of chaos and evil in the world, and there are many tales in turos history and lore that often inspire younger, more impulsive members of the community to go out into the wide world and gain experience. This is discouraged, but not forbidden, and turos society gains many strong leaders from those who come back from their adventuring days laden with treasures of experience as well as wealth.